Suicide rate in South Africa is up

Financial stress and lack of access to care are part of what is driving people to take their own lives

- Aarti Bhana

Deaths by suicide in South Africa are increasing, according to a recent report from Discovery Insurance, highlighting the need for better mental health services and greater awareness.

Life claims for suicide accounted for 45% for people aged from 41 to 60 years old, while the total claims due to suicide for individuals older than 50 increased by 62% last year, compared to the five-year average, according to the Discovery Life 2024 Claims Experience report, published in April.

Across all age groups, the largest component of death claims due to unnatural causes was attributed to suicide at 35%. This rate was higher than those for motor vehicle accidents (23%), crime (17%), trauma (10%) and other accidents (15%).

The claims were mostly for older men, but the youngest claimant was a 35-year-old woman who had psychological problems.

"More people are struggling with ... mental illness and some of them are more severe: depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders or substance-use disorders," said Zamo Mbele, a clinical psychologist.

"I think the other issue is that there isn't enough access to support for those people. There still is, unfortunately, too little care, and [there's] stigma around, so people aren't presenting [themselves]."

According to the Council for Medical Schemes, last year, the estimated suicide rate in South Africa was 23.5 per 100 000, translating to about 14000 deaths from suicide annually. It was the second-biggest cause of death among people aged 15 to 29.

Insufficient mental health services in schools, workplaces and other spaces is one of the factors driving up mental illnesses, according to Mbele.